The Minnesota Valley Canning Company branded the “Green Giant Great Big Tender Peas” in 1925, and the figure of a giant was introduced three years later by Carly Stanek. The original mascot of the Jolly Green Giant was a scowling caveman wearing a bearskin instead of foliage. The Giant made his first television appearances in 1954, and the booming “Ho, ho, ho” became the Giant’s signature tagline in 1961.
The Green Giant mascot emphasized the size of the new variety of pea. The pea was oblong, wrinkled, and as peas go, huge. Despite their size, the peas were tender and sweet, and the blend created an appealing flavor. The peas were named the Prince of Wales. The Green Giant became the signature brand.
After the Minnesota Valley Canning Company learned about the new variety of peas, the Minnesota Valley Canning Company reached out to brands they canned. Not one of them wanted to sell the discovered pea, so the Minnesota Valley Canning Company decided to sell the pea under their label.
Fast forward to the year 2015. General Mills sold the brand to B&G Foods for $765 million in cash.
B&G Foods offers more than 50 different high-quality brands and growing. Great-tasting, high-quality foods that people can feel good about feeding their families.
The Bloch and Guggenheimer families were immigrants who founded the B&G brand in 1889. The families started selling pickles in the streets of Manhattan, and the B&G brand continued to expand over the years. The B&G brand formed the nucleus of B&G Foods in 1996.